Showing posts with label flor de jamaica. Show all posts
Crispy taquitos filled with sauteed flor de jamaica (hibiscus flower) and queso fresco topped with lettuce and pickled red onions are a delicious meatless option perfect for Lent.


Hibiscus Flower Taquitos - lacocinadeleslie.com

J is for Jamaica, as in flor de jamaica, which is Spanish for hibiscus flower. Dried hibiscus flowers are used to make one of Mexico's most popular aguas frescas: Agua de Jamaica. Many people make the mistake of tossing out the rehydrated flowers once the agua fresca is made, which is a huge mistake. Rehydrated flor de jamaica is totally edible and can be used as a filling for tacos, tostadas, quesadillas, and empanadas.

Taquitos de Jamaica (Hibiscus Flower Taquitos) #AtoZrecipechallenge

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This week for #SundaySupper we are celebrating Labor Day, which for those of you outside the US is celebrated on the first Monday of September.  I don't get to celebrate US Labor Day anymore, because here in Mexico it's just another Monday.  In Mexico we celebrate Labor Day (Dia del Trabajo) on May 1st.  

Just because I don't get to celebrate US Labor Day anymore, doesn't mean I don't think about it.  Remember what I always say...You can take the girl out of the US, but you can't take away her love of American holidays.  To me Labor Day has always been the "unofficial" end of summer.   And every first Monday of September, I long for that one last cookout with family and friends to bid farewell to summer.   We actually had our farewell cookout of the summer last weekend, where I whipped up these Margaritas de Flor de Jamaica (Hibiscus Flower Margaritas) to toast the unoffical end of summer.  

lacocinadeleslie.com

 Margaritas de Jamaica 
(Hibiscus Flower Margaritas) 

Ingredients:
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers
  • Limes
  • Tequila
  • Salt or granulated sugar

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine the water and granulated sugar.  Add the dried hibiscus flowers and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool completely.  Strain the Hibiscus Flower Syrup into a decorative glass pitcher/caraffe or an airtight container and keep refrigerated until ready to use.    

To make the margaritas: Dip the rims of chilled glasses in lemon juice.  Then dip the moistened rims in salt or sugar, depending on whether you prefer your margaritas sweet or salty.  (I like to add a little grated lime zest to my salt and/or sugar for extra flavor.)  Fill glasses with ice.  Squeeze the juice of 1 lime in each glass.  Pour in 2 oz. of tequila, then fill glass with Hibiscus Flower Syrup.   Stir gently to combine.  Enjoy!!! 

lacocinadeleslie.com

For more Labor Day menu ideas, be sure to check out what my #SundaySupper friends have cooked up for you this week.

Refreshing Drinks

Amazing Appetizers and Sides

Enviously Good Entreés

Delicious Desserts

Thank you to Crazy Food Stunts for hosting this week's #SundaySupper Labor Day celebration.  And as always, don't forget to join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.



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Margaritas de Jamaica (Hibiscus Flower Margaritas) #SundaySupper

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Will Smith (famous actor/rapper) once said, "It's summer, summer, summertime!  Time to sit back and unwind."  Well, I can't think of  better way to unwind (with the kiddies) on a hot summer afternoon than with a cool and refreshing icy treat .   My good friend and partner-in-crime Girlichef couldn't agree more, because she chose Nieves as our theme for this month's edition of She Made/Ella Hace.  

Heather (girlichef) made us a grown-up treat...a Lemon Drop Granita made with vodka!  But whenever I think of summer and icy treats, I think of the summers I spent when I was 4, 5, and 6 years old in San Luis, Sonora and Nieves Raspadas (snow cones), also known as Raspados.  I don't remember eating much else, besides my beloved Huevos con Chorizo, all summer long.  I must've eaten at least 3 nieves raspadas a day.  And who could blame me?  Nieves Raspadas are sweet, cool, and refreshing, and they were just the thing to help a little kid beat the glaring heat of the Sonoran desert.

Back then my favorite almíbares (syrups) for nieves raspadas were strawberry and tamarindo.  To this day, I still love those two flavors, but now that I'm all grown up I have a new favorite...Almíbar de Jamaica (Hibiscus Flower syrup).  It's sweet and kind of tart, with subtle floral undertones.  And it's such a pretty shade of bright magenta.

I love Nieves Raspadas SO much, I'm going to be dedicating a full week to them on the blog starting this Monday, June 24th.


Almíbar de Jamaica para Nieve Raspada
(Hibiscus Flower Syrup)

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 cups sugar

Directions:
Combine the dried hibiscus flowers with the water and sugar in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.  Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of syrup over a cup of shaved or crushed ice.  Enjoy!!! 


Don't forget to visit Girlichef's blog to check out her Lemon Drop Granita.  And be sure to tune into my Cocina next week, as I'll be sharing more recipes for Nieves Raspadas.



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Almíbar de Jamaica (Hibiscus Flower Syrup) for Raspados {She Made/Ella Hace}

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